Katmai National Park and Reserve

The Katmai National Park and Preserve (in English Katmai National Park and Preserve) is a natural park and reserve of the United States located in southern Alaska, known like the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes (Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes) inhabited by grizzly bears. Together, the park and reserve cover an area 16,564.09 km² approximately the size of Wales. The majority of this space is an area dedicated to nature and wildlife where hunting is strictly prohibited, including more than 1,587,000 hectares of territory. The park was named after the Mount Katmai stratovolcano. The park is located on the Alaska Peninsula, opposite Kodiak Island, with headquarters located near King Salmon, about 290 miles (466.7 km) southwest of Anchorage. The area was first designated as a national monument in 1918 to protect the area created by the great 1912 volcanic eruption of Novarupta, which formed the Valley of Ten Thousand Fumaroles with a pyroclastic flow of about 100 km² and with 30 at 210 m. The park features 18 individual volcanoes, seven of which have been active since 1900.

After its designation, the monument was very little developed and visited until the 1950s. Initially designated due to its violent volcanic activity, the monument and its surroundings are now prized for its abundance of sockeye salmon, grizzly bears, which They feed on these, and a wide variety of Alaskan wildlife and marine life. After a series of border expansions, the current park and preserve was established in 1980 under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.

Geography

Katmai is located on the Pacific Ocean side of the Alaska Peninsula, opposite Kodiak Island in the Shelikof Strait. The main features of the park are: its coast, the Aleutian mountain range which has a chain of fifteen volcanoes that crosses the southeastern region of the park and a series of large lakes in the western part of the park. The nearest significant town to the park is King Salmon, where the headquarters are located, about 8.0 km below the Naknek River at the park entrance. The Alaska Peninsula Highway connects Naknek Lake, which is near the park entrance, to King Salmon continuing to the river's mouth at Naknek. The highway is not connected to the Alaska Highway system. Access to the interior of the park is by boat on Lake Naknek. There is another road that runs from Brooks Camp to Three Forks, which has a view of the Valley of Ten Thousand Fumaroles. The 800 km coastline runs from the entrance to Cook Inlet in Kamishak Bay to the south of Cape Kubugakali. The mountains run from southwest to northeast, about 24 km inland.

The park includes the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary and Refuge in Kamishak Bay. The Alagnak River, a wild river, originates within the Kukaklek Lake Reserve. The Naknek River, which flows into Bristol Bay, rises within the park. The park borders the Becharof National Wildlife Refuge to the south. The territory of the park and reserve has 1,587,391 ha within the national park, where recreational and subsistence hunting are prohibited. 169,380 ha and are preserved territories where hunting is allowed. The most commonly hunted species are grizzly bears, which has led to several problems due to small preserved populations lurking near the park boundaries.

The rocks of the Alaska Peninsula are divided by the Bruin Bay fault into sedimentary fossil rocks from the Jurassic and Cretaceous period in the east and metamorphic and igneous rocks in the west. The granite batholith of the Aleutian Range has formed through these rocks. Most of the large mountains in the park are of volcanic origin. The park has been extensively altered by glaciation, both in the highlands where mountains have been sculpted by glaciers, and in the lowlands where lakes have been excavated. Plains and moraines can also be found in the park. The types of soil are very varied, you can find rocky and volcanic soils and they vary in depth. Wet soils are made of peat. Although there is permafrost in the highlands, it is not present at lower levels.

Two physiographic provinces cover the park. The Aleutian Province is composed of the coast of the Shelikof Strait, approximately 16 km along the coast, the Aleutian Mountains, and the Hudsonian zone. Farther to the east, the Nushagak-Bristol Bay province is separated from the Aleutian zone by the Bruin Bay fault, occupying a small corner of the park.

Volcanoes

The active volcanoes found within the park are: Mount Katmai, Novarupta, Trident Volcano, Mount Mageik, Mount Martin and Fourpeaked Mountain. Other volcanoes that have erupted in recent years in geological terms are: Mount Cerberus, Mountain Failling, Mount Grigggs, Mountain Snowy, Mount Denison, Mount Kukak, Devils Desk, Mount Kaguyak, Mount Douglas and Mount Kejulik. Martin and Mageik produce fumaroles which can be seen from King Salmon, while the Trident volcano was active from 1957-1968.

The most significant volcanic event was the simultaneous eruption of Mount Katmai and the Novarupta volcano in June 1912. The Novarupta eruption produced a pyroclastic flow that covered a nearby valley with ash up to 90 m thick. At the same time, the summit of Mount Katmai collapsed into a caldera. As the deposits in the valley cooled, they emitted steam and fumaroles through the fissures, hence the name the Valley of Ten Thousand Fumaroles. As heat had dissipated from the deposits, the vapor conduits had diminished and the valley had eroded. Today, the canals have cuts up to 30 m deep and 1.5 to 3, 0 m wide. Katmai is a 2047 m stratovolcano with a large caldera at the top. Multiple glaciers have originated in the mountain and the one found inside the caldera is the only glacier known to have formed inside one of these. The bottom of the caldera is 250 m below the rim of the volcano crater. The mountain lies on sedimentary rocks from the Jurassic period and its volcanic components are less than 457 m thick. Apart from the 1912 eruption, no eruption has occurred. significant activity. Novarupta is described as a Plinian eruption volcano with a pyroclastic vent and a crater 2000 meters in diameter. Its only recorded activity has been the 1912 eruption.

Mount Trident is a complex of three stratovolcanoes, the highest being 1096 m in altitude and rising up to 577 m above its base. Trident has been intermittently active throughout history, primarily between 1953 and 1974. During those years approximately 0, 7 km³ of material was erupted to form a new peak called Trident Southwest. Mount Martin is 1859 m high and is located on a mountain ridge 1400 m altitude, near Mount Mageik. At its summit it has a crater 300 m in diameter, which produces fumaroles and within which lakes have formed. A large lava flow extends from the mountain to Angle Creek's Valley, which has its upper part covered by five cubic kilometers of lava. On Martin's side there have been no significant eruptions, however the summit emits steam and the volcano is the site of tremors. Mageik lies on the same sedimentary rocks as Martin. The structure is made up of four peaks, the highest at 2164 m, and 3 secondary peaks. On the side of the highest peak there is a crater with a small lake inside and from which fumaroles rise. Apart from constantly emitting steam there has been no significant activity recently but there was a large debris avalanche in 1912, probably associated with the Katmai eruption. which released between 0.05 and 0.1 km³ of debris. Fourpeaked Mountain is a stratovolcano with a vent at its summit. Most of the 2,104 m of the mountain is covered by the Fourpeaked Glacier. Fourpeaked produced phreatic eruptions in September 2006.

Mount Griggs is a 2,317 m stratovolcano located near Novarupta and northwest of the Katmai line of volcanoes. This flat-topped mountain has three concentric craters, the largest having an amplitude of 1,500 m. The geochemistry of this mountain is different from that of its neighbors. Griggs has active sulfur fumaroles. Snowy Mountain is a small volcano 2161 m in altitude and has ten glaciers covering most of its surface. Approximately a third to half of the mountain has been eroded by the action of glaciers. The volcano has two vents approximately 4 kilometers away and active fumaroles at its highest point. Mount Denison is a 2,318 m peak with four vents at the tips of three glaciers, the highest point in the park. Mount Kukak is another ice-covered volcano 2040 m high. It has a large fumarole near the summit. Devils Desk is a highly eroded stratovolcano 1954 m altitude. Kaguyak is a stratovolcano truncated by a caldera, like Katmai. The highest peak is 901 m with a crater 2.5 kilometers in diameter. There are two large domes inside the caldera and another two on the sides. Mount Douglas is a 2140 m stratovolcano, which is densely eroded by Mount Steller is 2,271 m high and is located between Kukak and Denison. It has an unknown number of vents, as the terrain is covered by snow and ice. Kejulik is an eroded remnant of a volcano 1,516 m in altitude. None of these volcanoes have exhibited significant activity in history.

Activities

Activities in Katmai include hiking, camping, skiing, fishing, kayaking, boat tours, and interpretive programs.

Katmai is also well known for grizzly bears and salmon, which attract both bears and people. Katmai has the largest population of protected grizzly bears in the world, estimated at about 2,200 bears. The bears usually congregate at Brooks Falls when the salmon are spawning and many well-known photographers come to the visitor platform to take photos.. Compared to other rivers, salmon arrive early at Brooks Falls. Between 43 and 70 bears have been documented at the waterfalls in July and the same number of bears are seen in the lower part of the river in September. Coastal areas, such as Hallo Bay, Kukak, Kuliak, Kaflia, Geographic Harbor and Chiniak also support high densities of bears throughout the year, due to the availability of edible clams and sedges, as well as salmon and other fish. Other spots where bears can be found include Swikshak Lagoon, American Creek, and within the preserve, Moraine and Funnel Creeks.

The vast majority of visitors to Katmani go to Brooks Camp, one of the only developed areas within the park and very few visitors risk going beyond the platform to see the bears and the areas adjacent to Brooks Camp. Park rangers are very careful so that the bears cannot obtain human food or are confronted with them. As a result, the bears at Katmai Park show no fear or interest in humans, and let people come closer to photograph them than bears elsewhere. New webcams developed by NPS will allow people to view the Brooks Camp bears directly on their computers or smartphones. July and September are definitely the best months to see bears in the Brooks Camp area.

Staying in cabins is also a possibility in Katmai and there are several places around the park where you can do this, such as Brooks Camp, Grosvenor Lodge, among others.

Ecosystems

The weather in Katmai is very variable, although with high possibilities of drizzle and rain. Summer temperatures average 63°F (17°C) and winter temperatures range from −4 to 40°F (−20 to 4°C). Autumn is usually drier than the rest of the year and there can be warm days throughout the year. Rainfall is heaviest near the coast, with up to 60 inches (150 cm) and lighter towards the east. The park is home to 29 species of mammals, 137 species of birds, 24 species of freshwater fish and four anadromous fish species.

In addition to the famous grizzly bears, you can also find moose, wolves, beavers, porcupines, tuesdays and other mammals in Katmai. Marine animals include seals, sea lions and sea otters. Of cetaceans you can find belugas, orcas and gray whales. During winters there may be caribou within the park.

The most important fish in the park are red salmon, which are food for bears, bald eagles and other animals. Salmon enter the Naknek River from Bristol Bay in June and July and spawn from August to October.

History

Pre-contact period and archeology

Pre-historic artifacts that are up to 6,000 years old have been found near the old village of Katmai on the southern shore of the park. Sites have been found along the coast, notably those of Kaguyak and Kukak, which had population occupation in ancient times. Some of these sites, including the "49 AF 3" near Kanatak and '49 MK 10', present clear evidence that it was inhabited until the 1912 eruption, however, they have not been carefully investigated. The Amalik Bay Archaeological District District) is a large area with evidence of early human activities in the area, with discoveries dating back up to 7,000 years.

Inland, Camp Brooks is a significant archaeological site, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1993. A village on the Savonoski River that was abandoned after the 1912 eruption is documented as the 'site of old Savonoski', while a larger district is located near the River Grosvenor. The site "DIL-161" It is located at the turning point of the Alagnak River and shows evidence that it was inhabited during the first millennium.

Russians and Americans

The Russians were the first Europeans to arrive in the area in significant numbers, they were fur traders. They encountered the Aglegmuit Eskimos on the peninsula on the Bristol Bay side and the Koniag Eskimos on the Shelikov Strait side. The village of Katmai was the only location within the park where Europeans lived throughout the 19th century, they were always few inhabitants. During the last years of the 19th century some villages were established in Severnosky and along the coast in Douglas and Kukak. American merchants operating for the Alaska Commercial Company took the place of the Russians. As sea otters became scarce, Russian trade declined so Katmai and Douglas were abandoned by the Russians in the early 20th century. . During the 1890s the region became a route for travelers going to Nome, due to the gold rush. The writer Rex Beach was one of these travelers and wrote about life in Bristol Bay during the salmon season in his work The Silver Horde. Prospects for oil, gold and coal received attention for a brief period of time, however, by 1912 this attention had disappeared.

By 1898 there were reports of frequent earthquakes in areas near the Katmai Pass. These natural disasters intensified around June 1, 1912 and caused the few local residents to withdraw. Katmai and Novarupta erupted on June 6 with a roar that was heard as far away as Fairbanks, which is 800 km away, and Juneau, 1210 km away. The large eruptions continued until June 7 and began to gradually decline from June 8. The ash accumulated 15 to 30 cm deep in Kodiak, and managed to fall in several parts of Alaska, even reaching Puget Sound. The haze that occurred was noticed around the world as temperatures fell in the northern hemisphere during the second half of 1912. Initial reports placed the center of the eruption in Katmai. Later reports speculated about the role of Katmai and it was not until 1954 that Novarupta was discovered to be the main volcanic center. The region around the mountains, which received a large amount of ash, was devastated.

The National Geographic Society sponsored five expeditions to Katmai, beginning in 1915 with a trip to Kodiak Island and a short stay on the mainland. The expedition, led by Robert Fiske Griggs, a botanist initially interested in the study of plant re-colonization. Griggs' next expedition was in 1916, in which he discovered the Valley of Ten Thousand Fumaroles and the Novarupta volcano. The National Geographic Society, fascinated by the discoveries, funded a large expedition in 1917 to survey the region. Subsequent articles published in National Geographic magazine brought the region to the public's attention, and Griggs began advocating for the area's protection in the national park system, supported by the National Geographic Society. At the time, legislation to establish Mount McKinley National Park (later renamed Denali National Park and Preserve) was pending and the idea of making Katmai a national park was discussed by National Park Service Director Horace M. Albright and National Geographic Society president Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor. Albright warned that national park legislation was unlikely to pass, so he suggested that the region be protected as a national monument by the president, using the Antiquities Act of 1906. After negotiations and the 1918 expedition, it was he opined that the Valley of Ten Thousand Fumaroles was a permanent feature and the proclamation was prepared to protect 1,080,000 acres (437,060.9 ha) around Mount Katmai and the valley. Although this was only one-third the area of the current park and preserve, the monument was still half of Yellowstone National Park. President Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation making Katmai the Katmai National Monument on September 24, 1918.

National monument

The proclamation had little immediate effect and there were several complaints from territorial officials. A 1923 expedition discovered that the region had little potential for mineral exploitation. In the early 1920s, tourists numbered a few dozen. The site was not staffed for the park, which was ostensibly managed by Mount McKinley. By 1928 more visitors arrived. Most prominent among them was Father Bernard R. Hubbard, an Alaskan explorer who gained fame as the 'Glacier Priest'. Hubbard documented the Valley of Ten Thousand Fumaroles in short films that he showed at lectures until the 1950s. At the same time, the park service realized that Katmai was among the best grizzly bear habitats in Alaska and that the monument should be extended to protect them and the prolific salmon. In 1931, President Herbert Hoover issued a proclamation expanding the monument to 2,697,590 acres (1,091,676.9 ha), doubling the size and creating the largest park service unit. Crucially, the monument included the Brooks Camp Falls, avoiding areas of the coast that were thought to contain potential oil deposits.

In 1937 a ranger was finally assigned to Katmai, seconded to the Mount McKinley monument, spending most of June attempting to reach it and a day at the monument before returning to Mount McKinley. In 1939 the Fish and Wildlife Service established a camp at Brooks Lake, previously exploiting part of the waterfalls in 1921. The park service became concerned about illegal trapping within the monument and asked the Fish Commission for support. Alaska Fish and Game Commission to send game wardens to patrol the area. Many tamperos were apprehended and park service personnel visited the monument, sending back positive reports about the landscape and wildlife. These reports and efforts to prevent poaching led to an adjustment to the monument's boundaries, which this time included the islands of the Shelikof and Cook Straits to 8.0 km from the previous border. This was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 4, 1941 and increased the area of the monument by thousands of acres.

Poaching and illegal hunting increased after World War II. At the same time, Alaskan land interests sought to separate from monument status or reduce it in size to allow mining and fishing, as activity in the Valley of Ten Thousand Fumaroles had declined and the park service had made no effort some to attract visitors to the monument. These proposals were rejected and a seasonal ranger was assigned to Katmai in 1950. William Nancarrow built a small camp on the Brooks River. By the mid-1950s the park service embarked on Mission 66, a program to expand the visitor center. Katmai was to receive a headquarters at King Salmon, a visitor center at Valley Junction in the Valley of Ten Thousand Fumaroles, ranger stations, camping areas, modest roads, and facilities for building docks on the lakes. It was also proposed to build an airstrip at Brooks Camp. This was not achieved, but a road was built from Brooks Camp to the valley. In the early 1960s it was proposed to build a road that would run along the peninsula through the park, connecting it to King Salmon. The park service objected to this. The 1964 Alaska earthquake halted the proposal for several years, however it resurfaced in 1968 with local support. The park service opposed the plans, so the highway project was abandoned. Meanwhile, headquarters facilities at King Salmon were developed. In 1967, the state of Alaska set aside the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary with 34,400 ha under the protection of safeguarding bear fishing areas in the river, which are adjacent to Katmai. The McNeil River Sanctuary was declared a National Natural Landmark in 1968. In the 1990s a refuge with 48,500 ha was established north of the sanctuary to protect Lake Chenik, in which there were schools of fish that attracted bears. The refuge and sanctuary expanded to 51,800 ha have remained close to hunting, despite an unsuccessful effort in 2005 by Governor Frank Murkowski and again in 2007 by Sarah Palin. Recently there have been proposals to merge the sanctuary and refuge at Katmai.

When George B. Hartzog, Jr. became director of the National Park Service in 1964, he commissioned a report on Alaska's public lands, titled Operation Great Land. The study identified 39 sites with the potential to become reserves or recreation lands, and it was recommended that Katmai be expanded to the east and substantially to the north. The border adjustments were modified to carry out an expansion of 38,260 ha to the east, this was approved and signed in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which caused anger in Alaska. In 1971 Katmai finally got a full-time superintendent. Also, in 1971 Congress passed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), which established a framework for dividing Alaska's federal lands. ANCSA established a schedule for declarations, retirements and designations, requiring the park service to create a plan on future park units. The park service proposed adding 33,000,000 acres (13,354,638 ha) of new land to the park, including an expansion to Katmai of 1,218,490 acres (493,105.8 ha). Through the mid-1970s a wide variety of proposals were circulated for the expansion of wildlife designation. At the same time, concerns increased about the reduction of land for sport hunting and subsistence hunting practiced by local residents. In order to address these concerns, legislation was proposed to create national reserve territories that would give protection to the lands, yet allow regulated hunting. Early versions of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) proposed that Katmai be a combination of national park and reserve areas. This legislation was delayed by Congress in 1978. As the deadline for selecting state public lands was approaching, President Jimmy Carter used his authority under the Antiquities Act to expand Katmai with 554,400 ha by December 1, 1978, the expansion took place mainly in the north.

National park and reserve

It took two more years for Congress to finally act on a final ANILCA law. On December 2, 1980, the law established Katmai National Park and Preserve with 1,037,000 acres (419,659.4 ha) expanded park and 308,000 acres (124,643.3 ha) reserve with 3,475,000 acres (1,406,283.9 ha) of wild and nature lands within the national park, where any type of hunting is prohibited. Unlike most ANILCA parks, Katmai legislation did not grant access to the national park for hunting. subsistence hunting, only in the reserve. Sport and subsistence hunting are prohibited within Katmai National Park, however they are allowed within the reserve.

Exxon Valdez oil spill

The Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound on March 24, 1989, caused extensive pollution along the Katmai coast. By early April the oil had reached Kenai Fjords National Park. The spilled oil reached Cape Douglas in Katmai on April 26 and places to the south in the next week. In early May, a variety of oil removal vessels were working in the Shelikof Strait, however 90% of the Katmai coast was contaminated by oil. The most affected areas were Cape Cjiniak, Chiniak Lagoon, Hallo Bay beach and its lagoon, Cape Gull, Kaflia Bay and Cape Douglas. It is estimated that approximately 8,400 birds died due to the spill. Work to clean up the coast continued in 1990 and continued until 1991, with small efforts to remove the last of the oil.

Administration

The superintendent of Katmai is also responsible for the Aniakchak National Monument and Reserve and the Alagnak River.